Keyboards and displays are frequently placed on existing office desks which are not specifically designed as computer work stations. Many office desks and work stations have a depth of only twenty-four inches. On such a work station, it is not possible to place the keyboard directly in front of the display due to the insufficient depth of the work surface. In such cases, the keyboard will generally be placed directly in front of the worker and the display unit will be placed to one side of the keyboard.
It is generally preferred that the keyboard and display be placed in the same field of vision. Also, it is preferred that frequently viewed surfaces be at or near the same optical distance. That is, the eye-to-display distance should be approximately equal to the eye-to-keyboard distance. When the display is placed to one side of the keyboard, there is no single field vision encompassing both the keyboard and display. Further, the optical distance from the operator's eyes to the display and keyboard respectfully will vary greatly. As a result, the operator's ability to maintain focus and alignment of the eyes will become greatly reduced resulting in fatigue.
Another problem associated with existing office desk and work stations relates to the absence of palm rest for keyboard operators. In order to avoid holding their arms in a suspended position for extended periods of times, some operators rest the palms of their hands on the work surface during typing. When the arms and hands are placed in an awkward position, there is a greater chance of muscular damage. For example, data indicates that wrist extension beyond 15.degree. is associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. Proper positioning of the arms and hands is therefore necessary to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive motion disorders.
In recent years, great effort has been expended to design computer work stations which are suitable for computer operators. However, less attention has been given to the problem of outfitting pre-existing office desks and work stations which are not specifically designed for computer operators, but which are nevertheless used by such persons. However, several portable keyboard supports are disclosed in the patents to Godfrey et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,511,111 and Burke, U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,390.